Hardware



mr@ @EN M/w March 23, 1943, H. W. NEUNHERZ 2,314,418

HARDWARE Filed Deo. 24, 1940 Patented Mar. 23, 1943 unirse sTATEs"PTENT' OFFICE HARDWARE Y Herbert W. Neunherz, Gardner, Mass.

Application December 24, 1940, Serial No; 371,555

3 Claims.

This invention relates to metal hardware and more particularly tofittings for the purpose of securing rods or like articles to a support.

Metal hardware applied to wooden elements, corners, and furniture ingeneral, has the objection that parts of the hardware or fittingsproject through the furniture and otherwise present rough edges thathave an unsightly appearance and may scratch or tear objects coming incontact therewith. These defects are especially objectionable in infantscribs where any rough edges 'or corners of metal parts, such as screws,bolts, bushings, etc., mar the appearance of the crib and are Very aptto scratch or cut the infant occupant of the crib as he moves about andattempts to climb up the sides of the crib in order to play or assisthimself in standing; and aiso persons leaning over the sides .of thecrib to care for the infant are liable to-be scratched, etc., by sharpedges and corners of the hardware.

Objects of this invention include the provision of means to obvia-te theabove stated objections in metal hardware, and especially for infantscribs; the provision of a fitting for the purpose' described having noprojecting rough parts or edges; the provision of a fitting whichcompletely avoids any use of an application member'extending all the Waythrough its support but which still rigidly vand securely holds itssupported member 4to the base therefor; the provision of such a fittingcomprising three separable parts, i. e., a spindle or bushing having twosockets at angles to receive a member-to be supported and a screw tohold allthe parts; and the provision of metal hardware comprising afitting for the support of a rod or other article to a base, saidfitting being ornamental in appear-ance, simple of application,economical in manufacture, and having no unsightly projecting parts orrough or sharp edges.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which n Fig. 1 isa view in elevation showing the application of the present invention tothe guide rod for a drop side of an infants crib;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in cross section showing the tting comprisingthis invention in assembled relation;

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrow 3;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the individual parts of the tting indisassembled relation;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section of a modified form of the securingmeans; and

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section of a further modification thereof.

The tting comprising the present invention may be used in any relationwhere desired or convern'ent but is illustrated in the present instanceas forming a hanger or fitting for the support of the usual verticalguide for the drop side of an infants crib.

Referring to Fig. l, there is shown the vertical end post I9 of a childscrib, the usual drop side I2 and vertical guide I4 therefor. The guideI4 is supported at its upper end by a hanger or tting generallyindicated at I6 and which is the subject matter of the presentinvention. This fitting may, if desired, be duplicated at the lower endof the guide rod I, as shown'in Fig. l, although other means may be usedfor supporting the guide rod at its lower end, since the top end of therod is located at a point where the child or others may be injured bythe projecting ends of the ordinary guide hanger.

The litting I6 embodies an ornamental turned spindle or bushing I8 ofbrass or other suitable metal.` This bushing I8 Vis drilled or reamedcentrall-y from end to end thereof, to provide the longitudinal bore orpassage 2U, and has an enlarged fiat-faced flange 22 at one end and arounded ball-like head 24 at the opposite end. The ball-like head 24 ismachined oif, as at 25, to provide a seat, the purpose of which isdescribed below. The machined part 2S may be slightly concave, as shownin Figs. 2 and 4. The ball-like head 24 is also drilled or reamed atright angles to the bore 20 to provide the larger diametered bore 28,the latter intersecting the bore 20 and passing through it slightly, asshown at 30. The bore 28 is made of a size to closely and accuratelyreceive an end of rod I 4.

The vertical guide rod I4 is provided adjacent one end with a drilledhole 32 of the same diameter as the bore 20 so that this end of theguide rod I4 may be inserted in the bore 28 and the hole 32' is thenalined with said bore 20 so as, in effect, to become a part thereof andcontinue the bore 2|] from the machined surface 26 to the end of theflange 22.

There is also provided a through wood screw 34 which is placed throughthe hole 32 and the bore 20 so that the threads 36 extend beyond theflange 22. The screw 34 is provided with a rounded head 33 of the samecurvature as the ball-like head 24 so that when the screw is positionedso that its head 38 contacts the machined area 26, the head 38 willcomplement the head 24 and take the place of the material machinedtherefrom so as to form a complete sphere. Any other shape desired maybe utilized, such as ovate, square, hexagonal, etc.

In applying this fitting to a crib post or article of furniture, theflange 22 is placed flat against the surface from which the rod I4 isdesired to be suspended. The drilledend of the -rod I4 is then insertedin the bore 28, and the hole 32 aligned with the bore 20. The screw 34is then inserted through the hole 32 and the bore 20, thus locking theparts together. The screw 34 is then turned to engage and enter the postI0, thus being securely anchored therein by the spiral threads 36, andthe screw 34 being turned as fai` as possible, the fitting is rmlysecured in place, the flat side of flange 22 being clamped flush Withthe surface of the post or support, The concavity of the machined area26 permits a rm contact of the head 38 with the head 24 at all points sothat there is no separation or crack between these parts.

If it is desired to use a machine screw in place of the wood screw 34, atapped bushing 40 is inserted in a prepared hole in the post i0, andpins 42 are sunk into the sides of the post to engage in apertures inthe sides of the bushing to hold the saine in position, see Fig.` 5.This is the only change necessary, except for the use of the machinescrew 44, the spindle or bushing I8 being exactly the same as in theshowing of Figs. 2 and 4. Of course the pins 42 could be replaced by asingle pin extending completely through the bushing 40, it merely beingnecessary in such case to use a shorter thread on the machine screw 44.Also, an ex-r teriorly threaded bushing 4S, Fig. 6, may be screweddirectly into a bore in post I0, if it is desired not to use pins 42,and in this case the same or other machine screw 44 may be utilized.

It will thus be seen that the meansof anchoring or securing the fittingis completely ccncealed from View from all sides and there are noprojecting parts of the anchoring means or of the fitting to scratch orinjure the occupant of the crib or anyone leaning over the side of thecrib. The head 38 of the screw 34 will be seen to Ybe so shaped andformed that it virtually becomes a part of the ball-like head 24 andindistinguishable therefrom when the screw is completely seated in thepost l0.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notWish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset'forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A hanger adapted to be secured to a support, comprising a tubularbushing having an enlarged rounded head at one 'end thereof, a boreextending through the bushing and head, said head having a flattenedside oppositely located with respect to the bushing, a second borelocated entirely Within the head at an angle to said first named boreand intersecting and extending across the rst named bore, said secondbore intersecting the periphery of the head at one end only of thesecond bore, whereby said first named bore extends completely throughthe bushing, second bore, and head, 'and said second bore extends onlypartially through said head but vcompletely across the first-named bore;a rod having an end located in said second bore and crossing the rstnamed bore, an elongated fastener extending through the first named boreand rod, a head at one end of said fastener rounded to conform to theshape of the first named head, and means at the other end of thefastener for entry in and connection to said support, whereby saidfastener not only secures the rod to the bushing but both bushing androd to said support.

2. In a device of the class described, a tubular bushing, an enlargedround head at one end of the bushing, a bore extendingn'axially throughthe bushing and diametrically of the head and through the latter, aflattened area on said head, a second bore at right angles to vthe rstnamed bore and located entirely within the head, said second boreintersecting the first bore and the periphery of the head at one endonly of the second bore so as to form a pocket in the head, a rod havingan aperture therethrough adjacent an end thereof, said vend beinglocated in said pocket with its aperture aligned with the first bore,and a fastener extending completely through the head and rod aperture,and through and beyond the bushing, said fastener having a rounded headhaving a center of curvature at the center of the round bushing head soIthat said heads cooperate to form a partial sphere with said fastenerhead seated on said flattened area, and means on said fastener at itsend extending beyond the bushing fo1` securement to a support, saidfastener securing the rod, bushing, and itself to said support.

3. A device as `recited in claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises amachine screw, in combination with a second bushing adapted to belocated in a support and threaded to receive the screw, and means toretain the second bushing in said support.

HERBERT W. NEUNHERZ.

